1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an arrangement in machines for gutting fish, particularly trout and salmon.
2. Related Art
Known machines for gutting fish are to a high degree constructed in view of treating fish to be further processed. Thus, relatively moderate requirements may be made of the accuracy of the treatment effected by the machine.
For gutting trout and salmon, machines are previously known wherein the fish is guided through the machine in swimming position by means of endless advance means such as belts or chains having vertical rotation axis and which grip the fish laterally and guide it through the machine. The fish is fed into the gutting machine so that a spear-like means arranged centrally between the belts and pointing against the advance direction of the fish, is threaded into the belly through an opening being exposed by cutting the throat of the fish. The spear is thereafter threaded out through the fish's anal orifice. The continuation of the spear forms the limitation for that part of the fish belly being cut open by a rotating circular knife underneath.
As the fish is being guided forward by said belts, belly cutting, removal of intestines and cleaning are effected by means of a number of tools arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction of the machine (the feeding direction of the fish) and each rotating around a horizontal axis transversely of machine's longitudinal direction.
Some disadvantages are associated with these known machines.
Removal of the blood rim constitutes a particular problem. The blood rim is protected by a strong abdominal membrane. In the known gutting machines abdominal this membrane is attempted to be removed by letting the fish pass over a rotating circular disc the circumference portion of which is formed with a number of recesses. Such a rotating circular disc is capable of removing said abdominal membrane, but at the same time it tears up the blood rim, so that the blood rim may not thereafter removed as a continuous piece. Additionally, the recesses of the circular disc will cause damage to the fish's belly.
The object of the present invention is to provide a cutting device effecting cutting of the belly membrane covering the blood rim without tearing up the blood rim, so that this afterwards may be removed substantially in one continuous piece, and without the cutting device causing damage to the rear part of the abdominal cavity.
The object is achieved by means of a cutting device formed in accordance with the feature appearing from the following claims.